The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-04-21
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,

put under the QlStrlct system under the
new law:
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
AUSTIN, April Is, 1887.
Dear Sir-I find that your county has
been placed under the district system by
an act of the Twentieth legislature, now in
force. If, however, the tax assessor is
taking the scholastic census, he should
com plete the same, as it will be impossi-
BILE to district the county properly and have
the census taken by the district trustees
before the LIST of July, at which term
the county judge is required bye law to
aggregate and abstract the census.
Trustees must be elected in or before
the first Saturday in June, in your county.
In order that this may be done, your
county must be districted before that
time. I suggest that you adopt in max
ing districts, four miles square, or sixteen
square miles, or twenty-fv square miles,
as the maximum for each district, These
limits should be modified by natural
boundaries, such as streams liable to over
flow, etc., and also by the location of good
school houses which are already the prop
erty of the state. One school house for
each race, situated near the center of the
district will then be generally accessible
to all the children within the district
The permanent interest and convent
ence of the scholastic population alon 9
should determine every question involved
in the establishment of school districts
which should be organized so as to be
permanent. Very Respectfully,
OSCAR Il. COOPER,
Superintendent Public Instruction.
STATE DEPARTMENT.
The following charters were filed:
Dallas Ice Factory; capital, $4,000. In
corporators: R. G. Graves, Chas. j. Ball,
w. II. Flippen, w. L. Hall.
Lampasas Hotel and Park company
capital, 100000. Incorporators: W. II.
Willis, George Sealy, F. Ball, j. @. Hutchi-
son, B. f. Weems, M. G.. House, w. D.
Cleveland.
Mutual Building and Loan association,
Houston; capital, 100000. Incorpora-
tors: D. M. Angle, Jas. MCGEE, V. w. An
derson, j. @. thinner, j. l.. Watson, l.. @.
Noble, j. F. Meyer, Chas. Berring, l.. j..
Polk, R. Fenby.
The following is a circular addressed to
the county Judge in regard to the educa-
blOudl Dul3 WulCu Will Us SouU OuI bO-udy :
Sir-The school bill passed by the
Twentieth legislature was adopted under
suspension of the rules with the emer-
gency clause, has been approved by the
governor and is now in force.
direct your attention to the following
provisions:
First-Trustees must be elected or ap-
pointed, on or before the first Saturday
in June, and will enter upon their
duties on the first day of July.
Second-The requirements for first and
second grade certificates have been
changed. Applicants for second grade
certificates must be examined in all the
subj ects prescribed for that grade by the
act of 1884, and in the additional subjects
of history of Texas, and the theory and
practice of teaching. Applicants for first
grade certificates must be examined in the
branches prescribed in the same act and
in the additional subject of physiology.
The entire examination must be conducted
in writing. You are hereby instructed
not to renew any outstanding certificates,
as all the public school teachers holding
certificates from county boards of exam
liners in the state must be re-examined to
conform to the conditions of the new law.
You are required to convene the board of
examiners at stated times, at least once
month. This board is required to report
under oath, and at least two of the board
must be present throughout the examina-
ton to validate teachers certificate. l
recommend that you appoint the last Fri
day and Saturday in each month as the
regular examination days. Teachers GER
tifcates are valid only in the county in
which they are issued and all certificates
which have been issued heretofore by
county boards of examiners expire with
the current scholastic year or earlier.
This provision does not cancel contracts
made and approved between trustees and
teachers holding certificates issued in
other counties, but it prohibits the forma-
ton of such contracts hereafter.
Third-The office of county superinten-
dent of public instruction has been
created by the legislature. The commits
sioners court of your county may, at any
meeting, enter an order for the election of
a superintendent of public instruction at
the next general election. When this order
has been entered, it is the duty of the COM
missioners court to appoint a county
superintendent of public instruction, who
will hold the Office until his successor shall
have been elected and qualified.
The new edition of the school law is
now in the hands of the printers, and will
be mailed to you as soon as possible.
Very respectfully, O. H. COOPER,
Supt. Public Instruction.